City Hall news from Randy and his staff

June 2011

June 23, 2011

At 10:35 pm Portland Fire and Rescue responded to a report of an apartment fire at 10900 N.E. Broadway. When fire crews arrived they found heavy smoke coming from the front door of the apartment. When Firefighters entered the apartment to search for victims they found one of the bedroom doors blocked shut. Firefighters forced the door of the bedroom open where they found a 72 male suffering from smoke inhalation. Firefighters quickly removed the victim from the apartment and rendered care to the victim on scene. The victim was transported to Oregon Burn Center with life threatening injuries. The fire was contained to one room of the apartment and quickly put out by fire crews on scene. Fire investigators are on scene to help determine the cause of the fire. One other adult was living at the apartment at the time of the fire and the Red Cross is being called into help with the displaced adult. More information about the fire will be released when it comes available.

June 20, 2011

Just prior to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday night, firefighters from Downtown Portland's Station 1 and SE Portland's Station 21 responded to calls to help two people in the Willamette River near the Steele Bridge. Apparently, one person had jumped into the river and was having a difficult time. Another individual jumped in to help the struggling person. The two persons in the water were found near the sea wall holding on to a 1 inch cement lip.

A life ring was thrown from the top of the sea wall by land-based Station 1 firefighters until the responding river units could make contact with the struggling swimmers. Rescue craft swimmer and rescue technician, Scott Pollard, jumped into the river and directed the better swimmer to the swim board on the rescue craft and assisted the other swimmer to the Eldon Trinity Rescue Boat. The two rescued swimmers were taken to the dock in front of Station 21. One person, a 54 year-old male, was treated by PF&R paramedics and transported to a local hospital.

With the summer months and warmer weather returning to the Portland area, Portland Fire & Rescue reminds citizens to adequately prepare for summer activities like swimming. Have a plan, know your own limitations, have a swim buddy, and before just jumping into any body of water - know your surroundings.

June 17, 2011

In December 2008, when the Portland Loo prototype was in its infancy, I fielded an email from an employee of the beautiful City of Victoria B.C., on Vancouver island to the North of Washington, expressing interest in the Portland Loo. They were grappling with the same problem as Portland-a lack of public, 24-hour toilets- and were interested in our solution.

Today, I found out that the Victoria City Council approved funds to purchase a Portland Loo! This is very exciting because not only will it be the first sale to another city, but it is an international city of great repute! I highly recommend visiting this metropolitan coastal city, the capital of British Columbia. You can take a lovely ferry ride to Victoria from Port Angeles, Wa, only 15 miles west of my hometown of Sequim, Wa.

While vacationing in Victoria in January of 2010, I observed these temporary urinals on a street full of busy nightlife. I believe it was on Langley Street, the street poised to be the site of the newest loocation. When the bars close down, public urination is a big problem in this area. Their current solution only address male's needs and offers no privacy.

Congratulations to the City of Victoria for offering a gender neutral solution! The Portland Loo will offer a beautiful alternative to this temporary, unsightly urinal, and it will be available to passersby during all hours of the day, not just busy bar nights. Absolootely fabulous!

Portland Fire & Rescue has confirmed that during the ammonia leak and resulting shelter in place order, 88 residents were notified with a safety alert using the City of Portland's FirstCall community notification system. A follow-up message also went out after the all clear message was given.

All citizens can sign up to receive emergency notifications on cell phones, landline phones, and e-mail by visiting publicalerts.org. In addition, residents throughout the urban area, including Washington County, can sign up for emergency notification systems in their county at publicalerts.org.

Portland Fire & Rescue is responding to an ammonia leak at Alpenrose Dairy. Public in the area south of Beaverton Hillsdale Highway, east of Oleson Rd., north of Vermont, and west of SW 55th Avenue are advised to shelter in place. This means that anyone in this area should stay inside, shut windows and doors, turn off air conditioners, and turn on their televisions for updates. Traffic in the vicinity of Alpenrose Dairy is shut down.

June 14, 2011

Upon arrival crews, found a 40 ft., privately owned boat had sunk while getting work done on it . There is currently gasoline and some oil leaking into the water of the Willamette River. The leak appears to be small.

Portland Fire and Rescue fire boat from Station 21 are on scene as well as the Coast Guard to assess the situation and private contractors are trying to raise the boat from the water.

"Potentially boats of these sizes can be carrying hundreds of gallons of gasoline so we're trying to minimize the impact of the environment by primarily addressing the leakage and then responding to environmental impacts. We are now putting out a boom and materials to absorb the oil and gasoline from the water. If all goes smoothly, the private contractor should be able to raise the boat completely by the end of this afternoon," Paul Corah PIO.

June 13, 2011

At 12:54 Portland Fire & Rescue responded to a hiker that fell at Rocky Butte today. The patient, a 19 year old female, fell 20' and sustained non-life threatening injuries. Crews had to hike in a ways to make access to the patient to treat, stabilize and carry her out of the area.

Portland Fire & Rescue wants to remind folks to be aware of their personal safety during summertime activities like hiking, biking, swimming and boating. They say you need to know your limitations and if you or someone you see is in need of medical attention, call 911.

Why: This news conference provides the latest berthing plan and other new information, along with the opportunity to ask questions of Portland Fire & Rescue's Harbor Master, the United States Navy, Portland Rose Festival Association, Multnomah County Sheriff's River Patrol. Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, US Army Corp of Engineers, Tri-Met, and Multnomah County Bridges are also scheduled to attend.

Included will be the most recently updated timeline for arrival of the fleet.

Special guests will include representatives from Save The PT Boat Inc., who plan on displaying their restored PT 658 during Fleet Week.